Chapter 164: Plotting
How could Ye Heng not be frustrated?
"This isn’t as simple as you think."
He had gone to great lengths to be promoted to Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice. But who could have known Su Wei would be so opposed to him? After the recent incidents, his colleagues were giving him an even wider berth.
He used to be a deft operator in the political arena, but now that everyone knew he had displeased the Eldest Princess, who would willingly associate with him?
Ultimately, it was all Ye Chutang’s fault. If she hadn’t deliberately stirred up trouble, how could he have ended up in such a state?
"Just stay out of it for now," he said. "We’ll figure something out after this blows over!"
Ye Shixian felt a surge of indignation.
’Easy for you to say,’ she thought. ’With the constant tides of politics, who knew when the next opportunity to rise again would come?’
’Three or five months would be one thing, but what if it was longer? How could she afford such a delay?’
’She had been hoping that with Ye Heng’s promotion, her own status would rise accordingly, allowing her to marry into a prominent family. But now...’
Even the young masters who used to dote on her had all vanished, severing contact without a word.
’Was it because they were afraid of being tainted by his misfortune, or was it something else...?’
For the past few years, Ye Heng’s career had been smooth sailing, and Ye Shixian, by extension, had been the center of attention. How could she possibly endure such a drastic fall from grace?
But seeing the worried expression on Ye Heng’s face, what more could she say?
"I understand."
Ye Heng glanced at her, his expression softening slightly. ’At least I still have an obedient and capable daughter,’ he thought.
"Don’t overthink it. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. By the way, how is Mingze today?"
Ye Shixian shook her head.
"He still hasn’t woken up. Besides, I had planned to ask Ye Chutang to come examine him, but I’m afraid that’s impossible now."
Ye Heng’s brow furrowed. "Why?"
Ye Shixian bit her lip and repeated what Shaoyao had told her earlier.
By the time she finished, Ye Heng’s expression had turned grim.
"She’s certainly hard to kill!"
But a glint appeared in Ye Shixian’s eyes. "Father, this incident has its pros and cons. It all depends on how you look at it."
Ye Heng didn’t understand. "What do you mean?"
Ye Shixian lowered her voice.
"She’s always been good at building up her own reputation. What she doesn’t know is that a reputation can be a shield, but it can also be a sword!"
...
Two carriages turned into Liuwan Lane and stopped, one behind the other, at the entrance to the Ye Mansion.
Ye Chutang alighted from her carriage, holding Xiao Wu by the hand as she bid them farewell.
"Thank you for everything, Princely Heir, Commandery Princess."
Princess Qingyang asked, still trying to persuade her, "Are you sure you don’t want me to send a couple of people to look after you?"
Ye Chutang smiled and politely declined.
Princess Qingyang had no choice but to concede. "Fine. Then we’ll just have to visit you more often."
She cleared her throat. "However, I might be busy for the next half a month. If I can’t make it, my brother can come in my place. It’s the same thing."
Ye Chutang began, "That’s not really—"
"I am ashamed to have delayed you in your personal affairs, Second Miss Ye," came a cool, deep voice. Shen Yanchuan looked at her and gave a slight nod. "If there is anything you require in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."
Ye Chutang paused, then realized he was referring to her trip to the mountain to offer incense.
’In truth, she didn’t believe in gods or Buddhas. But... if it could bring peace to the souls of her father, mother, and brother, she was willing to do it with all her heart.’
Ye Chutang curtsied, a slight smile touching her lips.
"Thank you, Princely Heir."
...
After returning to her room with Xiao Wu and closing the door, the little girl immediately turned to her with wide, expectant eyes.
Ye Chutang gently booped her reddened nose.
"There, there. I’m really fine. You can just help me change my dressing in a little while."
Hearing that Ye Chutang would let her help with the dressing, Xiao Wu finally relaxed and nodded eagerly.
Ye Chutang then remembered something. "By the way, your third and fourth brothers might be back soon. Let’s add a few more dishes for dinner."
...
Just as Ye Chutang had predicted, it wasn’t long before her two brothers returned.
Ye Yunfeng burst in, frantic. "Sis!"
Without looking up, Ye Chutang retorted, "Your sister wasn’t dead, but she’s about to be yelled to death by you."
Ye Yunfeng swept in like a gust of wind. Hearing the sound of his sister’s voice, the heart that had been in his throat the entire journey finally settled a little.
"Sis! Third Brother and I heard at the Imperial College that you were in trouble, so we rushed right back!"
He scrutinized Ye Chutang from head to toe. When he caught the bitter scent of medicine on her, his expression faltered.
"What exactly happened?"
Ye Chutang looked up to see Ye Jingyan following close behind him.
He was more level-headed than Ye Yunfeng, but he too was frowning with worry. "Sis, what exactly happened yesterday?"
Ye Chutang set down her account book and smiled. "I’m fine. I just took a dart to the shoulder. It’s only a flesh wound, nothing serious."
Ye Yunfeng’s eyes went to her left shoulder. "Weren’t you just going to the mountain to offer incense? How could— They said you fell off a cliff to save the Heir of Duke Dingbei! Is that true?"
Ye Chutang stood up and spun around for them to see clearly.
"It’s true," she said. "But I never do anything I’m not confident about. You can relax now, right?"
Ye Jingyan let out a long sigh of relief.
’When he first heard the news, his immediate reaction was that his sister had done it on purpose. But since she had never mentioned such a plan, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.’
It was only now, after hearing her confirm it, that he could finally rest easy.
’Still... she did get hurt.’
Ye Yunfeng was deeply pained. "When I find out who did this, I’ll make them pay a hundred times over!"
Ye Chutang recalled the commotion from the previous night.
’Those men fell into Shen Yanchuan’s hands. They won’t have a pleasant end.’
"Then you’ll have to wait until you’re a bit older. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Something clicked for Ye Jingyan. "...Sis, you know who they are?"
Ye Chutang nodded.
"But they weren’t targeting me this time, so don’t worry about it."
’The one who really has a headache to deal with is the master of the Prince Qi Mansion...’
Seeing that Ye Chutang didn’t intend to elaborate, Ye Jingyan didn’t press further.
"In any case, what matters is that you’re all right, Sis."
His gaze shifted, landing on the desk.
An account book lay open, with a stack of others beside it.
"Are these the account ledgers from the last three years for the shops we reclaimed? Sis, haven’t you already looked through them?"
Ye Chutang’s slender, pale fingers tapped lightly on the page.
"Even though they’re fakes, they’re still worth looking at. Otherwise, when I meet with those shopkeepers, I won’t be able to get a straight answer out of them."
’You have to know what you’re dealing with before you can act.’
Realization dawned on Ye Jingyan. "You have a point, Sis."
Ye Chutang set the ledgers aside. "By the way, for the next few days, ask your Assistant Teacher for leave. Don’t go back to the Imperial College for now."
"Really?" Ye Yunfeng instantly perked up, but then he scratched his head, sensing there was more to it. "Sis, do you have something for me and Third Brother to do?"
Ye Jingyan had an inkling of her plan. "Sis, are you thinking...?"
The next moment, a small smile graced Ye Chutang’s lips as she chuckled softly.
"The deeds to the properties are back in our hands. It’s our own business, after all. Wouldn’t it be more reassuring to go and see it for ourselves?"